Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-05-19
priest. who at once bent. his steps in
the direction of the hospital.

whole community came out to receive
and install him in the ward of Saint
Agnes. He was given a neat little
bedstead, with clean white sheets. and
was overwhelmed with pillows and
sirup. The little priest was at loss
to express his gratitude at the atten-
tions and kindness every body in the
place showed him.
On the following morning. the five
or six hundred students that daily fol-
lowed the masters lessons had no
sooner assent led than Dupuytren ar
rived.
He straightway sought the priests
bed. followed by his imposing retinue,
and the operation began.
Dupuytren scooped out the wound
and sliced away with knife and scis-
sors. He sounded the sore again and
again with his steel pincers, and re-
covered the tibers which he twisted
and tied together. Then the saw was
brought into action, and portions of
the lower mayillary bone were rasped
away. The operation lasted fully
twenty minutes Meanwhile, the priest
gave no sign of the circulating tort
ire he must have endured. Painting
with fear or expectation. the whole
gasping crowd suddenly breathed
more freely, when Dupuytren was
heard to say:
The operation is over.
Then only it was noticed that the
priests face was rather pale.
Dupuytren dressed the wound HIM
self.
Il think all will now be WE'LL" said
he, in friendly way. '.Have you SUI
fered much?''
81 tried to think of something clse,"
answered the priest.
The patient soon fell into a doing
state. Dupuytren gazed at him for a
moment in the deep silence of all
around him; then the great surgeon
gently slid the white curtains of the
couch along their iron rods, and con-
tinued his ministrations throughout
the Eospital.
The priest was saved.
Every morning, as soon as he ar
rived, Dupuytren, by a strange infrac-
ton Of his ordinary rHle. walked past
every other bed and paid his first visit
to his favorite patient. Later on. when
the latter was able to get up, Dupuy-
tren, as soon as his clinical business
was finished, would go up to the con-
valescent old man. take him by the
arm and slowly walk round with him
in the ward.
Those who knew with what hard
ness Of heart Dupuytren was in the
habit of treating his patients, were
lost in conjecture at the reason of this
sudden change in his conduct.
AS soon as the priest was able to I'M
dertake the journey, he took leave of
the good sisters and the doctor, and
went back to his village friends.
Not many months afterward, Dupuy-
tren, on arriving one morning at the
hospital rs usual, caught sight of the
priest. who was already there, rs he
advanced toward the ward of Saint
Agnes. The priest still wore his black
suit, but it was smothcred in dust, and
his buck!ed shoes were quite white.
He had evidently come a long way on
foot. On his arm was 4 stout willow
basket, with its lids strongly strung
down, and from which issued stray
bits of straw. Dupuytren gave him
the best of greetings, and having as
sured himself that the results of the
operation had gone off well, inquired
of the old man what had brought him
to Paris again.
doctor" replied the priest. ga
twelvemOnth day for day has elapsed
since you operated upon me. could
not let the 9th of May 90 by without
coming to see you, and have brought
you little present. I've put into my
basket for you two fine fowls from my
own coop with some pears out of my
garden, because l know they are more
savory than those of Paris. But You
must promise me to taste at least some
thing of all this
Dupuytren shook him warmly by the
hand and tried to persuade the good
old man to stay and dine with him;
but the latter prayed to be excused.
though with reluctance. His time was
precious, he alleged, and he was
obliged to get back home as soon as
possible.
Another year and yet another
brought the little priest with his inev-
liable basket and its contents on the
9th of May, and the doctor, each time.
received the aged ecclesiastic with
more visible emotion.
At about that time Dupuytrcn de-
tected the first symptoms of an illness
which all his science-and it was great |
was unable to conjure. He started
for Italy, because the whole assembled |
faculty of medicine persuaded him to |
undertake the journey, but he knew he
had little hope to expect on this side
Of the grave. His health, however. /
seemed to have improved when he re-
turned to France in March, 1854: but |